Dolls that Beth used to love
by Darking Girl
Summary: In Little Women, Beth collects dolls that no one wants. This is about the doll of Jo's that she gets. And Meg's. And Amy's.
1. Jo's 'sorry excuse for a doll'

I take it you have read Little Women to be reading this, well at the begining all the characters are described, Beth's is mainly about all her dolls and one 'sorry wreak' she got from Jo that had been banished to the bottom of the rag bag. This is my idea of how she got it.

Enjoy!

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"Ha ha, dolly goes swim!" screamed a small Jo as her doll was put in a stream her mother had taken her and her sister Meg to.

"Dear one, don't be so rough with her, look her arm is coming off, and her poor head….. Do be careful!" cried a pregnant Marmee as the poor doll took a tumble downwards.

Jo continued never less, and enjoyed her day with her 'dolly'.

Soon after a new baby March was born, Elizabeth, she was a small, happy, serene baby who Hannah the maid said would be a 'good little housewife in the future' and her parents agreed.

Her older sister enjoyed looking after and holding Beth as she was that little bit older than Jo, and Jo, she just enjoyed someone being younger than her! And all the hopes and dreams an 'older' sister has such as less attention on her when she accidentally knocked something over and blaming 'babbie' for everything.

When Beth was older, she too was taken to the stream with Jo, Meg, and a tiny Amy. She enjoyed playing with Jo and the dolly. This time, the poor doll went on its worst 'adventure' and was almost thrown away into the rag bag.

Jo and Beth were making the doll a boat to float in just like 'The Lady of Shallot' as she made her final journey down the lake. The boat was a big green leaf, and the mast a stick with a rose petal as the sail. All was going well until that fateful moment when Jo went to put the boat in the water. Alas, why give Jo that precious load? She did not mean too, but, it must have been fate. Just as Jo was to put the most sea worthy boat on the sea of life, she tripped! Down fell the boat and he precious load onto the ground. Of coarse the boat would fall onto the grassy ban, but the poor doll, she fell to her fate on the sharp hard rocks right next to the soft grass. As she fell she seemed to push out her arms to protect herself. However, at the last moment, she tumbled over, and did the loop de loop and landed on her…… poor head! How Beth and Jo cried over her, for nothing could save her now. The whole top of her head had smashed and come of like she was a boiled egg. The china of her head lay around and silently Beth picked up each piece and lovingly put each piece in her pocket handkerchief. Never was a doll so mourned. The whole family offered their condolences for her.

Jo as a matter of respect for the poor thing wrote a poem, showing that even at the tender age of eight she had a talent for writing.

"Dearest little dolly of mine

Amongst the green and yellow pine

Who fell upon that fateful day,

In the month of May."

"Had we never made that boat

So that she could just float

Amongst the weeds that grew so tall

And alas! that terrible fall!"

And then came the tears!

How Beth and Jo did cry. The doll was banished to the bottom of the rag bag, never it was thought to be played with again. That is until Beth realised.

Having taken the handkerchief with the pieces of head to her box in the attic and crying over the misfortune she went back down stairs and dolly was gone!

"Where dolly?"

"Gone to the rag bag my dear, she is no use to any one now."

"NO!"

Beth ran and found the rag bag and got poor dolly out.

"I look after you!" She told it with a solemn promise for evermore. She carried the poor thing to her room and saw a little cap of a doll on the floor. Picking it up carefully, she put it on the doll.

Many many years after this sad but joyous event, one of Beth's sisters sat in the attic looking in her box. Her name was Jo and her dearest sister had left the world for a better one with Him. Her hand was moving around the insides of the box, not for anything particular, simply to remember all the joyous times they had together, when she felt something soft. Bringing it out she discovered it was a handkerchief. Jo opened it, in it lay the pieces of a china dolls head. The first doll Beth had saved. The first doll Jo had had. Memories of this time overtook her, and all she could do was cry.

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I wrote a poem for you! Please review, talk about my lousy rhymes if you must! But review!

Also views on whether I should continue you this with dolls she got from Meg and Amy, Yes? No?


	2. Meg's turn

Well here is a new chappie to go with the last, one more, involving none other than Amy March (or Laurence if you want to be picky) and maybe another one to do with Laurie! (Might do them together, a strange person to give a doll to Beth, but he was always a kind 'brother'!)

Now, with nothing else for me to say, I give you MEG!

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Jo came down the stairs, slowly. Her eyes where wet with her tears, a trail of them ran down her left cheek and dropped of the end of her proud chin. Meg (who has dropped round to see her beloved Marmee with her two children) knew not why she cried, but she wanted to know desperately, so slowly and hesitantly asked Jo, "Why do you cry Jo dear?"

Jo didn't answer, all she did was hold out a small wrapped up parcel made of cotton material edged with a bit of once white, now yellow lace to her sister's face. Meg took it, and slowly opened it, not knowing what to expect. When she saw, she slowly looked up at Jo, "Oh, you poor dear!" and wrapped her in her motherly arms.

Her mind as she and her sister hugged flashed back to many years ago when she to had a doll she no longer wanted…….

_(flashback)_

"Meg", called Marmee, "could you for once please pick up your doll and put her away!"

"Sorry! I didn't know what to do with her…"

"What do you mean darling", said her Mother cutting her of, "Don't you want her any more?"

"Yes, I do not want her, I mean _it, _anymore, I am quite grown up now! I am, you realise, almost _fourteen, _and I do not really need it, but I was unsure of what to do with it and I did not really know if you would let me…." rambled a guilty Meg who then trailed off.

Her 'Marmee' looked down at her, with a strange look on her face, but she had always tried to let her daughters teach themselves, "Well, she is yours to do with as you wish, but, you realise you may want to keep her, so why not put her in your box in the attic for a little while?"

"Yes Marmee, I'll go put her in there right now," and with an excited look on her young face, Meg ran up the attic stairs full with the eager anticipation of 'growing up'.

"Oh, they do grow up so fast, soon she won't be my own girl anymore" mused Marmee to herself.

Meg ran down the stairs just excitedly as she had before, happy with the naïve thought that she was growing up (a.n sigh) quite nicely and that she would soon be rid of all her childish ways. A ten year old Beth noticed the 'skip in her step' and asked why she was so happy.

"Why, dear Beth, I have left a bit of my childhood behind! I no longer want my 'dollies' as you call them!" And with a chuckle and a gay laugh she continued on her way.

Beth with shinning eyes, glistening with half shed tears looked up the attic stairs and thought of Meg's doll. This particular doll was one of much beauty. For many years she had held a secret place in her heart for it. Oh, how she longed to wash the dolls pretty white (edged with an inch of crochet lace no less!) pinafore and its soft fawn coloured dress on her favourite day of the week, wash day! Then, oh, to iron the cresses out and make them all warm for the dolly to ware! From that moment onward, Beth decided she _would_ save that doll whilst a breath was still in her body. She debated whether to go up and get it now, or wait for Meg to come back home….

When Meg came home, Beth was there. Quickly before she lost her rush of adrenalin she spurted out "Please, Meg! Can I look after your doll! She'll be lonely! Oh, please say yes!!!"

"Dear _child,_ what did you just ask?" asked a flustered Meg.

"Why. The doll you no longer want, that you put in your box!"

"Oh, that _silly_ thing. Yes, if you want it so much, take it…"

"Thank you SO much" shouted an excited Beth behind her as she ran for the stairs.

_(end flashback)_

Meg wiped a little tear that had squeezed it's self out from her bright blue eyes. She remembered the joy that she had had every time she saw little Beth pushing her old dolly around, knowing that she was the giver, the reason for this little bit of joy in Beth's short life.

"I must find that doll for Daisy," she muttered.

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Well, thankyou (if you have taken the time to read this, I much appreciate it) but you know what I would like even more, a review! They are so nice to get (even if they are horrid) because it means that someone is taking the time out of their busy lives to assist me in writting my silly things (please I BEG of you! click the button below that says 'submit review' it would make this sad pathetic excuse I call life even better!) 


	3. Amy's Chapter

I suppose from this chapter you can tell that I don't really like Amy. She always kind of annoyed me what with her airs and graces, burning Jo's precious book, and the big one. She got Laurie (not that I wanted Jo to have him either. I wanted him). Never mind. But I always see Amy as the sister who is different, she's the one who was spoiled, I'm sure you know the type. I imagine that as a younger girl she looked down on Beth for playing with dolls and in a way made fun of her. Consequently, with this chapter I want to explore that side of Amy, and how she feels really bad when she looks back at how she treated Beth. Ok. I'm sorry about the long winded introduction, I just kind of wanted to say what I was trying to achieve. Hope you like the result!

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Amy Laurence sat with a small curly head on her lap. Much in the style she used to lay hers in her mothers. The long golden curls of Bess's tumbled down the sides of her mother's dress and as Amy pushed them back she heard the sweet sounds of a small child sleeping.

Her older sisters had left after an impromptu visit to the family. And they came in full force. Demi, Daisy, new baby Josy, Rob and young Teddy had all enjoyed an afternoon tea with their aunts and cousins.

And Daisy had been showing her younger cousin her lovely new doll.

Amy remembered glancing at it.

"Meg?" she had questioned, "Is tha…?" she broke off.

"Yes. I felt it was needed" Meg replied, "finally."

"I see" was the short reply. A sigh escaped her lips.

"I didn't mean to alarm you. In earnest believe me. But when I happened upon Jo…"

"Jo?! So she to is part of this! Well, I had no notion. Leaving me with no part!"

Jo had crept up to take part in the conversation to "But Amy, you do have a part. Go to Marmee's and look in the attic. That's what has started it all!"

"And bought up ill memories" Amy retorted. Quietly. She remembered Jo's temper.

Little Bess now awoke and lifted her golden head and smiled shyly at her own Marmee. Reminding her so much of another little girl, but one who had brown hair. Amy thus reached a decision.

She set of after dinner. There was no need for the carriage to be called, she wished to muse over what she had gone to fetch. Memories stirred within the golden head beneath a green bonnet. They tumbled, each trying to be thought of the most. However, one was most dominant. Sparked by the doll she had seen that morn.

When Miss. Amy had seen her elder sister cast out her childhood doll she felt that she too had to do the same. Never one to be left behind and with a stubborn streak that caused her to generally get her own way Amy thus walked the circuit within the house collecting all her toys that reminded her she was not the mature young woman, like Meg. Each new item was placed within the wicker basket she had employed for this very job. A small, much loved brown bear, a ragged rag doll, another doll of cloth, and a set of wooden blocks.

Then her eyes beheld and fell upon a beautiful doll with French knots for black eyes and a nose, pink satin stitch lips and a mass of curly brown hair, tilted to that very angle of sophistication. Her suit consisted of a rose patterned dress, cotton smock and a calico petticoat and bloomers. Amy gazed at this doll Her Emily. And held her to her chest. One final kiss upon her curled head. "Goodbye" whispered Amy. And with that the doll was placed in the basket too.

Meg had watched her do all this with a strange look upon her face. She felt it was her place to ask what her youngest sister was doing as once she had given up her doll she had adopted Amy.

"What are you doing?" she asked in her bestest elder sister voice.

"You have no dollies anymore. Neither will I. Only babies have toys. And I'm not a baby!"

Beth had crept up behind her, arms filled with dolls, and had heard. "So am I a baby for having dolls at the age of ten" she quietly asked Amy.

Amy turned abruptly and noticed her other sister. "Maybe. You still play with them and have wash days, and dress them up and take them for walks. Shall I go on?"

This soon to be argument had been heard by Jo in her attic, and she bounced down the stairs with her writing hat pulled down low on her brow. When she noticed who was arguing she sped up to defend her Beth, pushing the hat back.

Noticing Jo, Meg took a step towards Amy.

"I like dolls. And I like to know that even though they have been thrown away by someone else, they are still loved. By me" came the soft reply from Beth's red lips.

"Christopher Columbus!" exclaimed Jo, staring Amy down, "don't you know that they are good. For the imagination!"

"Well, we can't all be like you Jo," Amy retorted, her temper rising. "Perhaps I wish to make something with my life. You can't live on dreams alone!"

Jo now felt her Beth needed to be defended, and she could feel the anger within her rising, ready, waiting to erupt. Meg saw this change come upon her sister and stepped in front of Amy.

"Don't use slang Jo. It's not lady like" she stated simply as a way to begin the protection of her 'adoptee'.

Jo for once ignored her older sister's comment, rising above it to defend poor Beth. She stared right at Meg and said slowly, with two little flames on her cheek, "we do not have to grow up quite so soon. And a doll doesn't mean you are not growing up!"

"I quite agree my dear," said a quiet Marmee who had come up behind them all through the bedroom door. All four jumped at the sound of her voice and a red faced Amy dropped Emily accidentally onto the floor.

Beth bent down to retrieve her at the same time her mother did. She let go of it though as her mother took it and stood up.

She looked at each of her daughters in turn. Staring deep into their eyes, searching their souls. All but Beth squirmed under that gaze, realising that their Marmee was the one person they could hide nothing from. They all felt shame at their behaviour but it was Amy that broke first.

"I'm sorry! I still do like my dolls……" she trailed of as she realised that she was not being believed.

"You do not want this doll anymore my dear, do not lie darling. You gave Emily up as soon as you gave her a farewell kiss," with this Marmee held Emily out to Beth who took her with a shacking hand and hugged her to her small frame.

Mrs. Laurence sighed. She realised, now, she has been such a brute in her younger years. Especially to Beth. Childhood was a wonder. A few gift years were you were able to cling to fairy tales and the castles in the sky you built.

Amy realised that she wanted her little girl to stay a child forever. That for her to lose her childish innocence would be a sad day. A day that she would feel sorrow on.

How I must have hurt Marmee when I declared I no longer wanted to be a child, Amy mused.

An hour later Amy was once again at home. Taking of her bonnet she sighed. Seeing the doll, Emily, in Beth's box had emotionally drained her. She looked up to the night sky through the hall window, _I never meant to hurt you_, she silently thought, and then, _I'm sorry_.

Climbing the stairs she paused outside her daughters room. Entering silently, as the little girl was asleep, she placed the doll under the covers, so that in the morning she would once again be loved by a little girl called Bess.

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Woah. When was the last time I updated this? Like 2007? I suck. I already know. Hahaa. Gah at the totally cliche ending but I wanted to add Laurie to it and realised that would just make in gastly. Thank you that sense prevailed and made this too an un-Laurie chapter (cries).  
Do you think he should have his own chapter too? I mean he was practically their brother (even more so now....) and I think he would have done anything for Beth, even going about rescuing dolls for her! And everyone else gets a chapter... though I am running out of girls to dolls can go to. I suppose there is still Josy left. And at a pinch Nan (though she's not really a doll girl)... I'm rambling. Shush! Hahaa.

Anyway, ideas?


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